Man killed in Yellowstone hot spring allegedly trying to "hot pot"

Mammoth – The man who died in a Yellowstone hot spring last summer was apparently looking for a place to “hot-pot” in the park. Yellowstone officials recently released the final report on the accident, following a Freedom of Information Act request. The victim’s sister recorded the incident on her cell phone.

The accident happened in Norris Geyser basin on the afternoon of June 7. Deputy Chief Ranger Lorant Veress says it is a very dangerous area with boiling acidic waters.

Veress explained, “There’s a closure in place to keep people from doing that for their own safety and also to protect the resources because they are very fragile. But, most importantly for the safety of people because it’s a very unforgiving environment.”

But, according to the official incident report released by the National Park Service, 23-year old Colin Nathaniel Scott of Portland, Oregon, and his sister Sable Scott left the boardwalk near Pork Chop Geyser, then walked several hundred feet up a hill.

Veress said, “… they were specifically moving in that area for a place that they could potentially get into and soak. I think they call it Hot Potting.”

The report says Sable used her phone to record the journey to the hot spring. The report quotes her as saying she was shooting a video of her brother when the deadly accident happened, However, park officials would not release the video, or even a description of it.

Other areas of the report are redacted under the Privacy act. Veress said it was done out of sensitivity to the family.

The report did quote Sable as saying, “her brother was reaching down to check the temperature of a hot spring when he slipped and fell into the pool.”

Search and rescue rangers who arrived later did find the victim’s body in the pool, along with his wallet, and flip flops. But, a lightning storm stopped the recovery efforts. The next day, workers could not find any remains. Veress says the water was churning, and acidic.

He remarked, “In a very short order, there was a significant amount of dissolving”

Veress said the park posts warning signs for important reasons, “… because it is wild and it hasn’t been overly altered by people to make things a whole lot safer, it’s got dangers. And a place like Yellowstone which is set aside because of the incredible geothermal resources that are here, all the more so.”

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THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE
MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
HELENA POLICE DEPARTMENT IS REQUESTING ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING
MAKENNA ANN THOMPSON. SHE IS A 15 YEAR OLD WHITE FEMALE, 5 FOOT 4
INCHES TALL, 100 POUNDS, BROWN HAIR AND HAZEL EYES. MAKENNA HAS
BEEN DIAGNOSED AS BI POLAR AND IS NOT TAKING HER MEDICATION. IT IS
BELIEVED SHE IS WITH GARRET POTEET, A 21 YEAR OLD WHITE MALE, 6
FOOT 3 INCHES TALL, 300 POUNDS, BROWN HAIR, GREEN EYES. THEY ARE
TRAVELING IN A DARK GREEN 2004 GMC SIERRA CREW CAB PICKUP, WITH
MONTANA LICENSE PLATE 5 8 1 2 2 6 A. IT IS BELIEVED MAKENNA LEFT
WITH GARRET VOLUNTARILY, POSSIBLY CAMPING OR HEADING TO COLORADO.
GARETT'S CREDIT CARD WAS RECENTLY USED IN BALLANTINE, MONTANA, 3
TO 4 DAYS AGO. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL HELENA
POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 4 0 6 4 4 2 3 2 3 3.